Eagleton Wasn’t
the Only One
fill Fit Ml HARDESTY
Thomas Eagleton of Missouri is one
of four vice - presidential nominees
who never stood for election, the
others being Albert Gallatin, forced off
the ticket in 1824, and two who re¬
fused to run. Silas Wright in 1844 and
former Illinois Governor Frank Low-
den in 1924.
North Carolina alone holds the dis¬
tinction of having produced the only
vice - presidential nominee who was
elected and sworn in but never served.
William Rutu» King
William Rufus King of North Caro¬
lina was unanimously nominated as
Franklin Pierce's running mate at the
Democratic National Convention in
1852. When Pierce was inaugurated
on March 4. 1853, King was in Ha¬
vana, Cuba, where he had gone for
his health. On inauguration day he
took the oath of office there and died
of tuberculosis six weeks later before
he could return to Washington and
begin his duties.
King's nomination and election re¬
sulted from the high caliber of his work
in the U. S. Senate and his valuable
THE STATE, DCTOBCn IS. 1972
service to the nation in heading off an
incipient Franco - American rift that
might have seriously damaged the
United States.
King was appointed U. S. minister to
France in 1844 when France and
England were threatening joint action
against America's proposed annexa¬
tion of Texas. Already widely known
at home for his tact and diplomacy, he
gained access to King Louis Philippe
without having to undergo the usual
protocol and persuaded him to an¬
nounce that France would do nothing
hostile to the United States.
Since England was in no position to
act alone, the United States was
able to carry through its Texas plans
without interference from abroad. But
for King's skill as a diplomat, the na¬
tion's westward expansion might have
run into trouble, with ill effects on the
course of action then being pursued by
the young republic.
King was born in 1786 in Sampson
County, the son of a well - to - do
planter whose family had long been
prominent in North Carolina affairs.
A monument to him on the courthouse
square in Clinton, the county seat, is
inscribed: "William Rufus King, 1786-
1853. Native of Sampson County,
Congressman. Minister to France,
Senator and Vice President of the
United States."
King's ill health may have resulted
from his driving ambition and lifelong
habit of hard work and devotion to
duty. These traits were evidenced
early when he entered UNC at Chapel
Hill at age 14 and was elected to the
N.C. Legislature at 21 and to Con¬
gress at 24.
Admitted to the bar in 1805. he en¬
tered the U. S. House of Representa¬
tives in 1811 and resigned in 1816 to
spend two years in Europe as chief as¬
sociate of William Pinckney. U. S.
minister plenipotentiary to Naples.
Italy, and St. Petersburg. Russia.
In 1818 he visited a brother in Ala¬
bama, then about to be admitted to
the Union. In 1814 he moved from
North Carolina to Alabama, where he
bought a plantation. In that same year
he was elected to represent Alabama
in Congress.
Re-elected four times. King contin¬
ued in the House 24 years until he re¬
signed in 1844 to become minister to
France. On his return from Paris in
1846 he was appointed to fill the unex¬
pired term of an Alabama senator who
had resigned He remained in the U. S.
Senate until elected Vice President.
By a unanimous vote of the Senate,
King was elected president of that body
in
185»
to replace Vice President Mil¬
lard Fillmore, who had become Presi¬
dent after the death of President
Zachary Taylor. Thus, he twice held
the nation's second highest post, first
as president of the Senate when the
country was without a Vice President
and then as Vice President.
Wafek (Jou;t,
ЪщущрА...
Modern conversation seems to be
taking a step forward, or backward,
as the case may be. Have you noticed
how many people spontaneously and
inadvertently insert the phrase, "you
know." into every clause of every com¬
pound sentence? A famous psycholo¬
gist has classified phraseology as in¬
dicative of. lacking in sufficient vocabu¬
lary for proper self expression.
You know. I'm beginning to enjoy
the various ramifications of this popu¬
lar figure of speech. It is applicable in
this instance only in an assertive
measure, you know, and very seldom
intended as a direct inquiry. This par¬
ticular form of phobia, you know, re¬
veals a distressing uncertainty of being
understood and could well be charac¬
terized as an actual impediment of
speech, you know, were it not so ab¬
surdly ludicrous.
In social conversation these loqua¬
cious lunatics aspire to complete mo¬
nopoly while the unfortunate victim,
feigning an expression of interest, you
know, is busily planning a strategic re¬
treat. But pity the poor prude, de¬
prived of his avenue of escape, bom¬
barded by an avalanche of artless
articulation to the point of exaspera¬
tion. You know.
You know how it is. — Ciias. Wi st¬
all. Asheville.
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